Tuesday, July 27th, 2010
You’re probably wondering what sleep has to do with a website about digestive health. Well quite a lot actually and not just because I’m feeling a little tired myself. 
Sleep is vitally important to the workings of the digestive system. In the same way we need to consider what and when we eat and drink, we also need to make sure that the amount of sleep we get is also important.
You often hear athletes talking about their rest days - they realise that their bodies can’t train all the time and need time to recover. Well the digestive system is the same - it needs to relax and recuperate. And it can’t go off for two weeks on the Med!
How many times have you stayed up watching a late night film? And then when you’ve been awake have started to get out the popcorn or crisps cos you’ve just got to have something to munch on? And then off you go to bed, late of course, and food still needing to be processed. So the digestive system kicks into action when it should be resting, and of course you’ve reduced your amount of sleep too! Worse still some studies have shown that insufficient sleep can lead to weight gain, and additional weight around the middle puts extra pressure on the digestive system.
So what can you do? Well first lets cut out the midnight snacking, and try and make a conscious effort to get to bed earlier. Whatever time you need to get up, count back 7-8 hours and start making that time your bedtime.
And try not to have your large meal too late in the day. You may not be able to avoid that your largest meal is the one you have in the evening, but you can look to ensure that it is a few hours before you go to bed - two to three hours is best.
So time to turn over a new leaf and see how your sleep patterns and digestion might just improve.
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Monday, July 12th, 2010
How often do you find yourself tempted in the supermarket? Those special offers just look too good to ignore and so it’s easy to find a few more things in the shopping basket than you intended, and certainly sometimes the items are not always as healthy as they might want to be!
A healthy fridge
Of course, one way around this is to make sure you have a shopping list and stick to it, but another way is to take on board some tips on how to make your shopping basket healthier - and it might keep temptation at bay!
For instance, did you know that wholegrain products contain 75% more nutrients than their white counterparts? But that studies show that only one in twenty adults eat enough wholegrain but that one in three of us are eating none at all?
When selecting staples to your diet such as rice, pasta, breakfast cereal and bread look for wholegrain varieties as much as possible. You need to get 18g of fibre a day, but you can use fruit and vegetables to help you achieve that too. And if that sounds tough, consider that a 90g portion of penne pasta contains about 2.3g of fibre but switching to wholewheat pasta and the same amount will offer 9g of fibre! And yes they are in the same aisle!
Dairy products are an important source of calcium and you should be aiming for two or three moderate portions a day - and if you’re watching your weight then you can opt for reduced fat versions. You can also help increase your intestinal health by looking for fermented milks and yoghurts which contain probiotic bacteria.
The World Cancer Research Fund also recommends that people cut back on red and processed meat following a report from them at the end of 2007 which showed strong evidence between red and processed meats and bowel cancer. Try and limit your intake to less than 500g cooked a week and perhaps switch your red meat choices to poultry or fish.
And of course, don’t forget your fluid intake - water that is! Water aids digestion, so drinking around eight glasses a day along with your dietary fibre will help to soften stools and make them easier to pass.
So, is it time to rewrite that shopping list? Stay strong in the shops and your body and digestive system will thank you for it!
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Wednesday, July 7th, 2010
It’s not much of a surprise to those in the Love Your Gut team, but we’re only eight weeks away from the digestive health event of the year! 
So if you’re thinking of how you can get you and your friends gut healthy, then look no further! We’ve got information packs and posters, balloons and display materials which will help you bring some life to a notice board or staff canteen - just email us today to get your pack!
Or how about having some gut healthy recipes in your staff canteen or even having a day when people bring in food and you raise money for charity? Gut Week is supported by both digestive health charities Core and The Gut Trust, and we have a recipe section that will give you some delicious and healthy recipes to get you started! You could charge people per item or plate of food and am sure our charities would be pleased of the support!
And don’t forget our Gut Week on the Road campaign! We still have some spaces for bookings in London and the South East and are happy to come to workplaces and hospitals with our Gut Week experts - send us an email and hopefully we’ll be able to join you and your staff.
And of course look out for information across national and regional press to see further information and the celebrities involved in the campaign this year!
So what are you waiting for? Get in the Gut Week mode now and lets see how many people we can reach together!
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